Hard Rock Suspends Pariente, Commences Internal Investigation

• Hard Rock suspends executive without paying following allegations of money structuring, unpaid markers
• Emails to higher-ups from gaming industry insider may have been tipping point

Hard Rock International announced today that it suspended executive Alex Pariente without pay pending an internal investigation into allegations he permitted money structuring practices and allowed credit markers to go unpaid at a casino resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

On Wednesday, June 25 and Friday, June 27 Casino.org published articles citing multiple whistleblowers that have firsthand knowledge of Pariente’s alleged misdeeds at the Dominican gaming venue. Those accusations include a scenario in which an employee, at Pariente’s behest, took a $100,000 from a Chinese gambler without proof of funds and potentially skirted reporting protocols by depositing those funds in the bettor’s account over dozens of smaller transactions. To its credit, Hard Rock International is making clear it’s aware of the accusations.

Hard Rock International is aware of the allegations involving one of our executives and is treating the matter with the utmost seriousness,” according to a statement provided to Casino.org by the gaming company. “Honesty and integrity are core values of our organization, and we hold all team members—regardless of their role—to the highest ethical standards.  Hard Rock does not tolerate any conduct that compromises the trust placed in us by our guests, partners, or team members. The employee in question has been suspended without pay pending an internal investigation into this matter.”

Hard Rock International is the gaming unit of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and there are about a dozen casinos in the US bearing that brand name.

Emails May Have Prompted Pariente Suspension

Large corporations, of which Hard Rock is one, are often deliberative when it comes to human resources decisions pertaining to high-ranking executives so it’s not surprising Pariente didn’t face immediate repercussions immediately following the Casino.org articles.

Copied on the emails were members of the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB), FBI Special Agent John Schettler, and IRS criminal investigator Chris Seymour. Seymour and Schettler were among the agents that spearheaded investigations into alleged improprieties around former gaming executive Scott Sibella and Seymour was the agent that revealed MLB translator Ippei Mizuhara illegally transferred $16 million to a black market bookmaker.

To be clear, Hard Rock International’s statement did not mention the emails or any other motivation behind Pariente’s suspension other the priorities of getting to the bottom and the importance of its companywide integrity.

What’s Next for Pariente’s Relationship with Hard Rock?

As Hard Rock noted in the statement, Pariente is suspended sans compensation pending the results of the internal investigation. The company didn’t mention a timeline for completion of that matter nor did it comment on the possibility of the executive being terminated. For his part, Cipriani believes it’s time for the industry to rid itself of allegedly corrupt executives such as Pariente and Sibella.

“The casino industry has no room for dirty, corrupt executives like Alex Pariente and Scott Sibella,” said Cipriani. “Pariente should not have been an executive at all. Now is the time for the industry and the world to understand casinos shouldn’t be hiring executives with checkered pasts.”

That’s a veiled reference to Pariente’s time at Wynn Las Vegas and the Baha Mar Casino and Hotel in the Bahamas. Cipriani added Hard Rock executives, including Allen and COO Jeff Hook, should be commended for taking swift action and serious consideration in the Pariente matter.